Humidifier



Nov. 15,1927. i 1,649,055

H. B. BLAKESLEE HUMIDIF'IER Filed Feb. 1. 1926 Hen/" y ,HE/a/rJ/e j 'INVENTOR.

A TTORNEY.

Patented Nov. i5, 192?.

HENRY B. BLAKESLEE, Ol ROCHESTER, MINNESOTA.

HUMIDIFIER.

Application filed February This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in humidifiers, and has more particular reference to a device of this kind adapted to be installed in the outlet end of a hot air supply pipe and behind the adjacent wall register of a hot air heating system for buildings The primary object of the invention is to provide a humidifier of the above kind which is extremely simple and durable in construction as well as efticient in operation.

A further object is to provide a humiditier of the above kind which may be readily placed into use and attended to, as well as cheaply manufactured.

The invention contemplates the provision of a water receptacle adapted to be suspended in the outlet end of a hot air supply pipe and having means for suspending a sheet of cloth so that the lower portion of the latter extends into the receptacle for being kept saturated with the water so that moisture is supplied to the hot air passing through the supply pipe and particularly to the hot air coming in contact with the sheet of fabric.

A specific object of the invention is to provide simple and effective means for deflecting the hot air into contact with the sheet of cloth whereby the air is positively supplied with moisture.

A further object is to provide means for maintaining the outer side of the water receptacle in spaced relation to the adjacent side of the hot; air supply pipe so that the hot air may pass at all sides of the water receptacle.

Still, another object to provide improved means for suspending the sheet of cloth or sheet-like wick so that the latter may be employed of maximum width to afford a maximum wick surface.

A still further objectis to provide suspending means for the sheet of cloth or wick which may be lowered with the latter so as to not interfere with closing of the reg ister damper and which may be conveniently raised to operative position when the register damper is opened.

Other objects will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, and the same consists in the novel form, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, shown in the 1, 1926. Serial No. 85,335.

characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the. several views.

Figure l'is an elevational view, partly broken'away and in section, looking at the inner side of a humidifier constructed in accordance with the present invention and with the wick and suspending means in raised operative position;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the device shown in Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is an end elevational view thereof, partly broken away and in section, and illustrated suspended in the outlet end of a hot air supply pipe.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, 5 indicates a water receptacle which is preferably constructed of sheet metal so as to be open at its top and of relatively deep narrow elongated form, as shown. The upper ends of the side and end walls of the receptacle 5 are directed outwardly and downwardly to provide hot air deflectors 6, and provided in the upper end portions of said receptacle walls directly inwardly of or behind the deflectors 6 are a horizontal series of spaced openings or apertures 7 inwardly through which the hot air is caused to pass by the deflectors 6, for a purpose which will presently become apparent. It will be noted that the outer side wall of the receptacle 5 is extended a slight distance above the upper ends of the remaining walls as at 8 (Figure 3), so as to cooperate with the adjacent deflector 6 to form a hook by means of which the'receptacle 5 may be suspended from the upper free edge of the outer wall of a hot air supply pipe 9 and within the latter in the path of the hot air. The receptacle 5 is of such size as to leave a space between the inner side and ends thereof and the adjacent walls of the hot air supply pipe, and in order that the hot air may bepern'iitted to pass upwardly between the wall of the hot air supply pipe and the outer wall of the receptacle 5, the latter is provided at its lower portion with external projections 10 adapted to engage and restagainst the inner surface of the supply pipe so as to maintain the receptacle 5 inwardly tilted and in spaced relation to the adjacent wall of the hot air supply pipe as shown clearly in Figure 3.

External guides or ears 11 are rigidly provided upon the end walls of the receptacle 5, and the straight vertical end portions of a wick supporting bail 12 are slidably engaged in these guides or ears 11 so that the bail may be manually raised or lowered relative to the receptacle. The free end portions of the bail 12 are olfset laterally as indicated at 13 so as to cooperate with the ears 11 for releasably retaining the bail 12 in elevated position, atwhich time the horizontal intermediate portion of the bail extends across the open top of the receptacle 5 at a point spaced above the latter as shown clearly in Figures 1 and 3.

A sheet of cloth or sheet-like wick M is suspended from the intermediate portion of the bail 12 and is of such length as to extend into the receptacle 5 to the bottom wall of the latter when the hail 12 is in its extreme raised position so that water will be supplied to the wick as long as any of the same remains in the receptacle. In order that a wick of maximum width may be utilized for affording the greatest possible exposed cloth or wick surface, the intermediate portion of the bail 12 is made of zig-zag form or composed of a series of successive oppositely extending lateral olfsets which are followed by the upper end of the wick ll so that the latter is suspended in vertical folds or in corrugated formation and thereby only extends from end to end of the receptacle though in reality of greater width than the latter. The upper horizontal edge portion of the wick is preferably formed with a suitable hem for reception of the intermediate portion of the bail 12 as shown at 15, and the straight end portions of the bail preferably project up through guide openings in the end deflectors 6 for steadying and strengthening purposes. \Vith the humidifier suspended in the outlet end of a hot air supply pipe as described above and as indicated in Figure 3, the wick and the bail, when in raised position, will probably interfere with the closing of the ordinary damper provided in wall registers of hot air heating systems of buildings, not shown, and in order to permit the operation of the damper the wick and bail may be lowered by forcing downwardly upon the bail, the operator passing a linger through an opening of the register to accomplish this operation. In a like manner, the wick and hail may be raised after the damper of the wall register is opened.

In operation, the hot air passing through the supply pipe to the wall register will come in contact with the portion of the wick 14 which is exposed above the top of the receptacle 5, and as said exposed portion of the wick will be maintained saturated with water as long as there is water in the receptacle into which the lower end of the wick is submerged, such hot air will be moistened before passing outwardly through the register into the room of the building. Considerable of the hot air will be deflected inwardly through the perforations 7 at all sides of the receptacle 5 by the deflectors (3 directly into contact with the wick 14 so that a most ellective or substantially positive humidi'l'ying action is had.

It is to be understood that the receptacle 5, when operatively disposed, will be located at the inner side of and slightly below the wall register so that said receptacle may be readily refilled with water by the use of a funnel having an olfset spout capable of passing through a perforation of the register.

From the foregoing description it is believed that. the construction and operation as well as the advantagespli the present inveir tion will be readily understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art.

Minor changes may be made without dcparting from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

lVhat I claim as new is 1. A humidifier of the character described comprising an open-top water receptacle, a sheet-like wick, and means carried by the receptacle for suspending said wick so as to expose the upper portion of the latter above the receptacle with the lower part of the wick disposed within the receptacle, said wick suspending means being vertically adjustable relative to the receptacle, and comprising a bail having a zig-zag horizontal intermediate portion from which the wick is suspended in vertically corrugated form.

2. A humidifier of the character described comprising an open-top water receptacle, a sheet-like wick, and means carried by the receptacle for suspending said wick so as to expose the upper portion of the latter above the receptacle with the lower part of the wick disposed within the receptacle, said wick suspending means comprising a bail having a zig-zag horizontal intermediate porton from which the wick is suspended in vertically corrugated form.

3. A humidifier ol the character described comprising an open-top water receptacle, a sheet-like wick. and means carried by the receptacle for suspending said wick so as to expose the upper portion of the latter above the receptacle with the lower part of the wick disposed within the receptacle, the upper ends of the end and side walls of said. receptacle being directed outwardly and downwardly to form hot air deflectors, and said walls having horizontal series of perforations therethrough inwardly of said doflectors through which the hot air is directed by the latter to the exposed portion of the wick, one of said walls of said receptacle being extended above the remaining walls of the latter so as to cooperate with the adjacent deflector to form a hook for suspending the receptacle within the outlet: end of a hot air supply pipe.

4-. A humidifier of the character described llll having depending straight end portions slidably mounted on the ends of the receptacle for vertical adjustment of the bail, and means 10 to releasably retain the bail in elevated position relative to the receptacle;

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

HENRY B. BLAKESLEE. 

